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Inside the Tape: The details that set Makai Lemon apart
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- Inside the Tape: The details that set Makai Lemon apart
Inside the Tape: The details that set Makai Lemon apart originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Box scores give you the what . Film gives you the why .
Welcome back to our weekly film series, where we bypass surface-level stats to isolate the schematic tweaks, matchups, and micro-details that define the Eagles from week to week.
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After diving into Drew Kendall , Jeremiah Trotter Jr , and Willie Lampkin's first NFL start against the Jaguars in London a few weeks back, the focus today shifts to the perimeter, where rookie wideout Makai Lemon took advantage of an expanded opportunity Monday night against Dallas.
Let's dive into the tape.
Explosiveness and the ability to create separation – both are a must to be able to win reps against man coverage with consistency at the NFL level. Lemon initially presses off his inside foot to sell the outside release, only to quickly plant his right foot in the turf and accelerate across the face of the Dallas DB. On top of winning quickly, he has the awareness in space to tuck his inside shoulder after hauling in the pass from Tanner McKee to avoid the LB's punch, adding a few yards after the catch.
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Lemon wasn't known for his release package or elite suddenness in/out of routes when coming out of USC, but this is an excellent sign moving forward, especially when the Eagles face must-have-it downs in the future against man coverage. Working the middle of the field is where Lemon thrives, and good on Sean Mannion to scheme up this look.
This is schemed up well and the route is won before the ball is even snapped, a staple of what we expected from the Mannion offense. Watch the middle of the field pre-snap, as the motion from TE Eli Stowers (good to see him on the football field) forces Dallas to slide a few yards away from where they initially believed the strength of the offense would be. From there, Stowers and Hollywood Brown run vertical 'clearout' routes as Lemon is able to work across the formation from the backside through the middle of Dallas' defense. This is good scheme, good execution and another way that Mannion was able to create open lanes for Lemon to access and take advantage of, as all good coordinators in football do. We need to see more of this moving forward.
These are the types of reps that fire me up personally, and I'm sure the rest of the offense would say the same. Lemon isn't the biggest or fastest wideout on the football field each week, but he's a tough, rugged, really good football player. This is where receivers – at any level – make their money, as Cowboys LB DeMarvion Overshown identifies this in the blink of an eye and triggers towards Lemon. If the throw from McKee leads Lemon here – instead of landing on his back shoulder – it would of been an even more violent collision, but Lemon's ability to stare down the barrel of the fast and physical LB that Overshown is understanding he's going to take a shot, catch the football with two hands, secure it to his body and work into the endzone is outstanding. This was a huge play in the ballgame to put the Eagles up in the second half, and furthermore it shows a ton of trust from Mannion and McKee to feed Lemon in tight confines. Excellent play from the rookie.
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To dive further into the clip you can also click on the video for audio.
Another form of the crossing route that you saw above, but Lemon fakes as if he's going to run block here before leaking out over the middle for an explosive play. The crossing route is the hardest route to defend in football, especially in man coverage, as it basically equates to a full sprint across the football field. My wideout against your corner, can you keep up?
With Darius Cooper's sit route holding the hook defender, Lemon is able to scoot underneath for what is a simple pitch and catch from McKee. There's a lot going on here in a few short seconds from the snap, but it's nice to see some execution from all involved out of play-action!
This is a small thing, but at times it takes young receivers a little while to understand the full picture of what coverage a defense is presenting them. Pre-snap, Dallas shows two high safeties which indicates a very simple Cover 2 structure. However, they quickly change the picture by blitzing Caleb Downs (13) who is aligned over Lemon in the slot. By sending Downs on what is called a 'RAT' blitz, the initial Cover 2 shell quickly rotates into a Cover 1 man look with one high safety in the middle of the field. Lemon understands that Downs is the free runner towards McKee, and he quickly gets his head back to the QB for a quick completion on third down. No, they didn't get the first down, but this is about understanding the finer nuances of the position, willing to take a shot over the middle and executing at a high level for a young player.
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Overall, there's a whole lot of positives on tape for Lemon as the de facto WR1 with Smith and Wicks on the shelf Monday night. It obviously hasn't been perfect for the Eagles offense through seven games, but there were signs of progression from the entire unit in primetime, led by Lemon, which hopefully can be a stepping stone for what's to expect for the rest of 2026.
